Starting and landing mechanism for aeroplanes



. J, H. LA'K'IN.

- summav mo LANDING. MECHANISM FOR AEROPLANES.

- APPLICATION mp0 111N526. 191.9.

Patented June 1,1920,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' J. H. AKIN, STARTING AND LANDIN G MECHANISM FOR AEROPL'ANES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, I919.

- Patented June 1, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Elvwzutoz J. Milli/L.

l. H. AKIN.

.STARTING AND LANDING MECHANISM FOR AEROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE26, 1919.

342 145 Patented June 1, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- JI/Z 10 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. AKIN, OF AMES, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 JAMES E. ADAMSON,OF AMES, IOWA.

STARTING AND LANDING MECHANISM FOR AEROPLANES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1920.

Application filed June 26, 1919. Serial No. 306.880.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN H. AKIN citizen of the United States, residingat Ames, in the county of Story and State of Iowa, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Starting and Landing Mechanism forAeroplanes, of which the followin is a specification.

ihis invention relates to improvements in aeroplanes and moreparticularly to mechanism whereby an aeroplane ma make a safe landing ina restricted lan ing space and likewise may make a safe start or getawayin a restricted space.

The invention has as a further object to provide mechanism whereby anaeroplane may drop gently to the ground in a relatively vertical courseand similarly may rise from the ground in a relatively vertical course.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanismemployinglifting propellers upon the aeroplane and wherein the liftingaction of said propellers may, without changing the speed of rotation ofthe propellers, be controlled or varied at will.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism employing apair of lifting propellers upon one of the wings of the aeroplane, oneof said propellers being disposed at each side of the fuselage, and tofurther provide a lifting propeller upon the tail of the aeroplane andwherein all of said propellers will be coupled with the aeroplaneengine.

And the invention has as a still further object to provide slidesarranged to normally overlie said propellers and adapted to control thelifting action thereof and wherein all of said slides may be operatedfrom the pilots seat.

Other and incidental objects will appear hereinafter. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing a conventional type of aeroplaneequipped with my improved lifting and landing mechanism,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the aeroplane, I

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and showingthe structure for operating the wing slides of the mechanlsm,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a typical mounting of theslides,

a conventional type of aeroplane.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View showing the manner in which thestruts of the aeroplane are widened to carry the slides,

Fig. 6 is a detail view illustrating the controller shaft for operatingall of the slides,

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section showing the manner in which the wormracks employed are connected with the slides,

Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the mounting of the propeller in thetail of the aeroplane.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view showing the clutch employed forcontrolling rotation of the lifting propellers.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I have, forconvenience, shown my improved mechanism in connection with The fuselageof the aeroplane is indicated at 10 and this fuselage 10 is providedwith the usual pilots seat 11. As will be ob served, the aeroplaneillustrated is of the three wing type and the uppermost of these wingsis indicated at 12. Within the forward portion of the fuselage is theengine of the aeroplane and connected with the crank shaft of thisengine is the main propeller 13.

Coming now more particularly to the subj ect of the present invention, Iform through the upper wing 12 of the aeroplane, at sultable points uponopposite sides of the fuselage, openings 14. These openings arepreferably oblong and are disposed adjacent the forward edge of thewing. At the outer ends of the openings are wing struts 15. Similarstruts 16 are arranged at the inner ends of the openings and disposed ininward spaced relation to the struts 16 are similar struts 17. Suitablyconnected to the struts l5 and 16 to extend beneath each of the openings14 is a supporting frame or bracket 18 and journaled through thesebrackets are, as particularly shown in Fig. 4, vertical propeller shafts19 to the upper ends of which are connected lifting propellers 20disposed medially with respect to the openings 14. Depending from thebrackets 18 are arms 21 and journaled at their upper ends through thesearms are drive shafts 22 to the upper terminals of which are fixedbeveled pinions 23 meshing with similar pinions 24 upon the lower endsof the shafts 19.

The shafts 22 converge dowuwardly into the fuselage 10 and, asparticularly shown in Fig. 10, enter a transmission casing at oppositesides thereof. This gear casing may be mounted in any approved mannerwithin the fuselage and entering the casing at its forward side is apower shaft 26 from the aeroplane engine. Formed through the tailportion of the fuselage is a suitably located opening 27 similar to theopenings l l but of less size. At the outer end of this opening is astrut A similar strut 29 is disposed. at the inner end of the openingand arranged in. inwardly spaced relation. to this strut is a similarstrut 30. Suitably secured to the struts 2S and 29 to extend. beneaththe opening is a supporting frame or bracket 31 corresponding to thebrackets 18 and journaled through this bracket 31 is, as particularlyshown in Fig. 8, a vertical propeller shaft 32 carrying a liftingpropeller 83 disposed medially with respect to the opening. Dependingfrom said bracket is an rm 3% and journaled through said arm is the rearend of a drive shaft 35 to the rear terminal of which is fixed a beveledpinion 36 meshing with a similar pinion 3? upon the lower end of thepropeller shaft. The shaft 35 extends forwardly through the fuselageand, as particularly shown in Fig. 10, enters the gear casing 25 at itsrear side. Any suitable type of transmission gearing may be employedwhereby the speed of rotation of the shafts 9 2 and 35 may be changedand a suitable clutch is preferably associated with said gearing so thatwhen desired the lifting propellers may be allowed to stand. idle.

The struts 15, 1G and 17, as well as the struts 28, 2S) and 30 are, asparticularly shown in Figs. land 5, widened somewhat and formed in thestruts as well as in the strut 28 are sockets Each pair of struts 16 and17 is slotted to receive a slide 39. Likewise, the pair of struts 29 and30 is slotted to receive a similar slide 40. Secured to the inner endsof the Slit 39 are, as particularly shown in Fig. 5 worm racks llconnected with said slides by webs 4:9; and, as will be observed, thesewebs are movable through suitable slots in the struts 16 and 17. Theslide 40 is similarly equipped with a. worm rack l-3. lllounted upon thefuselage ll) in front of the pilot seat ll is a vertical control shaft4-4-v provided with a h and wheel 4:? and fixed to the upper end of saidshaft is a worm all while a similar worm 47 is carried by the lower endof the shaft. Extending in opposite directions from the worm l-(ibeneath the upper wing 12 of the aeroplane are hori- Zontal shafts 18journaled through suitable hangers depending from appropriate struts ofthe wing. Fixed to the inner ends of said. shafts are Worms 49 meshingwith the worm 4:6 and lined to the outer ends of said shafts are worms5O meshing with. the worm racks 4M. Extending rearwardly through thefuselage at substantially right angles to the shafts 4:8 is a shaft 51suitably journaled upon. the fuselage. ill} its forward end the shaftcarries a worm 5Q, meshing with the worm il T upon the shaft lrfl: whileat its rear end the shaft Til carries a worm 53 meshing with the wormrack 4:3 upon the slide 40. Thus, as will be readily understood, thehand. wheel 4L5 may be manually turned. for simultaneously opening theslides 39 and 4,0 or closing said slides to engage within the sockets38, it being also possible to dispose the slides at a intermediateposition of adjustment. Furthermore, this operation of the slides may beaccomplished from the pilots seat.

Normally, all of the slides will be closed. However, as will now beunderstood in view of the preceding description, when the aeroplane isin flight and it is desired to make a landing, the lifting propellers 20and 33 may be coupled with the engine of the aeroplane and thus set inmotion when, by opening the slides, the aeroplane may be allowed todescend in a relatively vertical course, the lifting propellerssustaining the major portion of the weight of the aeroplane so that theaeroplane will gently come to a landing. In this connection it should beexplained that the lifting propellers have, If course, suflicientlifting power to more than sustain the aeroplane and, in fact, areadapted to bodily lift the aeroplane. However, the effective liftingaction of the lifting propellers is controlled by the slides, suchaction being increased by opening the slides and, of course. beingdiminished by closing the slides. Thus, it will be possible, by properlymanipulating the hand wheel 45, to allow the aeroplane to gently descendin a relatively vertical course so that the aeroplane may accordinglyland in a restricted space. Likewise, by opening the slidessufficiently, the lifting propellers will act to raise the aeroplanefrom the ground so that the aeroplane may also start or make a getawayin a correspondingly restricted space. I accordingly provide a highlyadvantageous type of landing and starting mechanism.

Having thus described what is claimed as new is:

1. In an aeroplane, the combination of a lifting propeller upon a wingof the aeroplane, a lifting pIQpGllGl upon the tail of the aeroplane,means for coupling said propellers with the aeroplane engine to bedriven thereby, and means for varying the speed of rotation of saidpropellers.

2. ln an aeroplane, the combination of an aeroplane wing and tail garovided with openings therethrough, propellers mounted op tl ieinvention,

posite said openings, means for driving said propellers, and means foradjustahly closing said openings simultaneously.

3. In an aeroplane, the combination of an aeroplane wing provided withspaced openings therethrough one at each side of the fuselage, therebeing an opening tl'irough the tail of the aeroplane, lifting propellersmounted opposite said openings, means for driving said propellers,slides mounted upon said wing one adjacent each of said openingstherein, a slide mounted upon the tail of the aeroplane adjacent theopenin in the tail, and means for adjustably shi ing all of said slidessimultaneously to close said openings.

4:. In an aeroplane, a Wing having an opening therethrough, a strut ofthe wing adjacent said opening being provided with a slot therethrough,a slide reciprocable through said slot for closing the opening, andmeans for actuating the slide.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN H. AKIN. 1 8.]

